Water QualityNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Water QualityTue, 20 Sep 2016 23:38:37 +0000Water Qualityhttp://wunc.org
Jess ClarkNorth Carolina State University researchers estimate that thousands of North Carolina residents and more than 1 million residents in the southeast have high levels of manganese in their well water. Manganese is found naturally in soil, but studies have linked long-term exposure to health problems, including cancer and heart defects.Researchers Say Thousands Of Wells Likely Contaminated With Manganesehttp://wunc.org/post/researchers-say-thousands-wells-likely-contaminated-manganese
86014 as http://wunc.orgSat, 17 Sep 2016 13:27:00 +0000Researchers Say Thousands Of Wells Likely Contaminated With ManganeseElizabeth FriendResearchers at UNC-Chapel Hill are helping local fishermen identify which fish are most likely to be contaminated by chemical pollutants, and where it’s safer to eat what they catch. The new website, Eat Fish, Choose Wisely, maps out waterways and fish species with lower levels of contamination, along with some that should be avoided entirely. Kathleen Gray is the research translation core leader with the UNC Superfund Research Program, and the director of UNC's Environmental Resource Program. She and others were motivated to make the guide in response to concerns that some anglers were eating fish from highly polluted water at Lake Crabtree County Park in Wake County. In discussing the issue with local fishermen, Gray said they asked for a guide to help them assess the risks posed by different types of fish in a variety of locations. "They really wanted a map," said Gray. "They didn't just want a map that showed where the contaminated water was, they wanted to see where nearby, ‘If INew Guide Helps Local Anglers Avoid Polluted Waterwayshttp://wunc.org/post/new-guide-helps-local-anglers-avoid-polluted-waterways
81408 as http://wunc.orgSat, 02 Jul 2016 19:14:29 +0000New Guide Helps Local Anglers Avoid Polluted WaterwaysElizabeth FriendA coalition of environmental groups released a series of interactive maps documenting thousands of large-scale hog, cattle and poultry farms across North Carolina. The maps identify more than 4,000 hog waste lagoons and 14,000 poultry barns. Environmental advocates say the large amount of waste generated by confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, poses environmental and public health risks that the state government has failed to properly regulate. New Maps Detail Scope Of NC's Poultry And Hog Industrieshttp://wunc.org/post/new-maps-detail-scope-ncs-poultry-and-hog-industries
80977 as http://wunc.orgFri, 24 Jun 2016 14:51:45 +0000New Maps Detail Scope Of NC's Poultry And Hog IndustriesCommittees in the state House and Senate are weighing a measure that would prevent state agencies from issuing certain health warnings on drinking water. Lawmakers Consider Bill To Limit Health Advisories On Drinking Waterhttp://wunc.org/post/lawmakers-consider-bill-limit-health-advisories-drinking-water
77924 as http://wunc.orgThu, 05 May 2016 16:08:09 +0000Lawmakers Consider Bill To Limit Health Advisories On Drinking WaterDave DeWittThe dank, dark tunnel deep inside the Cowans Ford Dam—about 100 feet or so below the water line of Lake Norman north of Charlotte—is where I learn a little-known fact. All dams leak. Jeff Lineberger, Duke Energy’s director of Hydro Strategy and Licensing, and Mike Williams, the Cowans Ford facility director, smile and patiently explain to a novice the small waterfalls cascading down a staircase and into a trough alongside the tunnel. “These are just pressure relief points to help with uplift on the dam itself,” says Williams. “So it relieves the pressure. We do have to keep an eye on it.” Cowans Ford is Duke Energy’s largest hydroelectric power plant in North Carolina, capable of producing enough electricity for 240,000 homes. The amount of concrete used to build this facility is enough to construct a sidewalk from here to California. The hydropower produced here is renewable, reliable, and available immediately when electricity is needed. “We have to match the energy production withHydropower: Does NC's Original Renewable Have A Place In Its Future? http://wunc.org/post/hydropower-does-ncs-original-renewable-have-place-its-future
63295 as http://wunc.orgWed, 16 Sep 2015 13:14:58 +0000Hydropower: Does NC's Original Renewable Have A Place In Its Future? Jeff Tiberii The Department of Veterans Affairs says it's prepared to compensate Marine Corps family members who were exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. The V.A. announced in October that it will now begin helping family members who were sickened by water at the base. The Marine Corps has said as many as 1 million people may have consumed contaminated water between 1957 and 1987."I was glad to see it finally come to fruition, but my big question is why did it take two years after the president signed this thing into law for them to start providing the benefits? It's inexcusable," said Jerry Ensminger, a retired Marine Master Sergeant who spent 11 years at Lejeune. Ensminger is skeptical of the V.A. He says the organization looks for ways to deny coverage. Calls to the V.A. were not returned. Any military member who lived on the base for 30 days during the period where there was contaminated water is eligible for free V.A. treatment, according to the law. The contaminated waterFamily Members Seek Compensation For Contaminated Water At Lejeunehttp://wunc.org/post/family-members-seek-compensation-contaminated-water-lejeune
44619 as http://wunc.orgTue, 04 Nov 2014 12:43:29 +0000Family Members Seek Compensation For Contaminated Water At LejeuneRebecca Martinez The Army Corps of Engineers is wrapping up the environmental impact review of a $1.4 million plan to put solar powered water mixers (also known as SolarBees) on Jordan Lake to break up algae. Last year, the General Assembly decided to delay implementation of rules that would restrict development around the lake to reduce contaminated runoff. Instead, they had the Department of Environment and Natural Resources spend $400,000 on 36 SolarBees to churn the water and prevent chlorophyll a, which is linked to algae blooms, from building up. Mary Maclean Asbill is a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. She said the mixer technology is questionable, and it isn't a complete solution. “Because it only addresses pollution that's already in the lake. We think the problem needs to be worked on, at least, if not stopped before it gets into the lake.” Tom Reeder directs DENR's Water Quality Division. “In my opinion, it's just a philosophical difference,” Reeder said. “Do you'SolarBees' Poised To Hit Jordan Lake Next Monthhttp://wunc.org/post/solarbees-poised-hit-jordan-lake-next-month
36744 as http://wunc.orgThu, 05 Jun 2014 13:00:38 +0000'SolarBees' Poised To Hit Jordan Lake Next MonthJorge Valencia The commission that’s writing North Carolina’s rules on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, or fracking, is getting ready to present its recommendations to the General Assembly. The Mining and Energy Commission has been working since Sept. 2012, and today will debate the last eight rules it is preparing.A few people like Sharon Garbutt have been following the Mining and Energy Commission. Garbutt has been volunteering to take children on field trips to the Haw River for 20 years. Most of the time, the kids love it."The dragon flies, the damsel flies. We show them [the students] how their larvae are hiding under rocks and in the sand and in the river," Garbutt says. "When we take them down there, a lot of them are like, 'I’m not going to get in that river.' And by the end, we have to drag them out of the river.”Garbott volunteers with the Haw River Assembly. Two years ago, she heard energy companies wanted to extract natural gas from North Carolina through hydraulic fracturing North Carolina’s Rules On Fracking To Be Completed This Year, Well Permits To Be Issued Next Yearhttp://wunc.org/post/north-carolina-s-rules-fracking-be-completed-year-well-permits-be-issued-next-year
33876 as http://wunc.orgWed, 16 Apr 2014 12:40:42 +0000 North Carolina’s Rules On Fracking To Be Completed This Year, Well Permits To Be Issued Next YearAlgae may seem harmless, but toxic algae blooms can be a real problem in water supplies used by people. They can kill wildlife in the water and be dangerous to humans. Host Frank Stasio talks with Hans Paerl, professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences, Morehead City. The Danger Of Toxic Algae To North Carolinahttp://wunc.org/post/danger-toxic-algae-north-carolina
28924 as http://wunc.orgTue, 14 Jan 2014 16:36:09 +0000The Danger Of Toxic Algae To North CarolinaRebecca Martinez Federal cuts mean the state will stop monitoring water quality at several dozen swimming sites along coastal rivers and sounds in the coming year. The Environmental Protection Agency cut $22,000 from a grant for the testing. The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries uses a combination of state and federal funds to test 240 swimming areas for certain bacteria.Director Louis Daniel says the division has notified county heath and summer camp directors that it will stop testing water quality at 41 swimming areas in coastal rivers and sounds. “You know, as soon as the funding is restored, which, we expect it to happen, then those sites will be picked back up again,” Daniel says. “But we had to maximize our effort where we had the most swimming.” Daniel says the program tests for bacteria that is associated with diarrhea, vomiting, rashes and infections in humans and posts results at each site. “You will consume some water when you're swimming. I mean, not purposefully, in salt water,NC Will Stop Monitoring Water Quality At 41 Swimming Locationshttp://wunc.org/post/nc-will-stop-monitoring-water-quality-41-swimming-locations
28161 as http://wunc.orgMon, 30 Dec 2013 12:56:34 +0000NC Will Stop Monitoring Water Quality At 41 Swimming Locations